Travel Blogs from Maun, Botswana

... stereotypical engagement conjured up, and encountered, when people speak of taking a mokoro ride in the Okavango Delta, in northern Botswana - a beast, frisson of deadly danger ... and safety. The wetland is the largest inland delta on the planet, ...

... , ostriches and the odd giraffe running out infront of the car. Veterinary inspections and police inspections. Yes, driving in Botswana is exhausting. However, we finally arrived safe and well in Maun, ready to make arrangements for the Okavango Delta. ...

Right, here we go. Set off Friday nice and early, the backpackers' boat took about eight of us to Boro, that's the gate where the mokoros are waiting to take you into the delta. I was the only one going solo and feeling slightly apprehensive ...

Adam is such a simple person he is actually hard to describe. He is kind of there but not filling much space, he doesn't say much though he's not being sullen and when he does I don't understand him, or I do and I don't know what he ...

... ! Unfortunately they only had 3 full chickens left and I ended up with 'The Complete Burger'. We were also running short on Botswana Pula so with about as much decorum as a bunch of baboons we also dragged all our own beers into the restaurant hidden in a ...

Up at 5:30 for tea and cereal before heading off for what was a very long 6 hour game walk. Very cool indeed, the highlights were getting within about 15m from a giraffe and 5m from an elephant. The elephant eventually started flapping ...

... we arrived in Nata, our lunch spot. Thinking back in the whole 5 hours I only remember passing through one small village. Botswana is so sparsely populated. 1.6m people in a country the size of France!
We did however spot wildlife on route, elephant, ...

... funny to see a bushman smoke modern day cigarettes.
The following day we went into the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana for a two-night bush-camping excursion using traditional dugout canoes called a 'mokoro'. Each mokoro had a poler who ...

... could be heard throughout the night inbetween the clashes of thunder and ever pounding rain. Religion is big business in Botswana, where most will claim to be Anglican. Christianity is mixed with traditional beliefs so the Batswana believe that if the ...

... potbellied middle-aged white men who thought I would leap at the chance of being the object of their loutish affections, in Botswana there is an endless supply of, sometimes quite attractive, eager young black men falling over themselves to get there ...

... that was shaped and painted to look like a traditional handmade dugout log canoe. Turns out that the government of Botswana was getting concerned that too many ancient trees were being felled to build boats to transport tourists around the delta, so they ...

... go by. I had to shop for food this afternoon. The taxi I flagged down was a mere 4 pula, 40 euro cents. Even though Maun is considered a big town shopping here is nothing like in Amsterdam, you make do and realise how spoilt you are. I got chicken, ...

I could tell you about the Okavango Delta, the beauty of the swamp, its colours, nature, the sounds and smells. The way the sun reflects on the water, the lilies and the reeds. I could try and describe how it feels to surrender to the clear, fresh water, ...

... , the hills--named Male, Female, Child and Grandchild--run to over 20 kilometres in distance between the first and last. Botswana's answer to Uluru, or Ayres Rock, in Australia, Tsodilo towers out of nowhere and dominates the surrounding flat, sun-baked ...

... your travel guide they will tell you to Visit all the popular sites and see some wild life. If you really want to see Botswana and experience it from a local¡¦s point of view I recommend you travel with the locals.
I departed Gabarone at 6am Monday ...

... to come with you to bring the cost down. I became very familiar with the ¡§single supplement¡¨ while traveling alone in Botswana. Everything costs more if you are on your own, so find a friendfº
There are several options with the Mokoro, 3 ...

... 5 o' clock bus. A 6 hour ride, someone said. We arrived here at 4 pm. Ja. Tired and puffed up feet but, hey, I am at Maun, at this beautiful lodge, the Old Bridge Backpackers, and I intend to put those sorry feet up and enjoy. Oh, and might I have ...

... away!
That evening was pretty chilly and I had to sleep with my bag zipped up most of the way. Very nice sleeping weather though. Botswana has been very cool on the evenings.
So far this trip seems to have been very well run. Eman the guide has done ...

... the Okavango Delta. They say Camp O serves the Delta on a silver platter, and boy were they right.
My adventure started in Maun at the Safaris Air. I paced, fidgeted and stirred for my plane to arrive. I have been dreaming of flying over the delta ...

... dry riverbeds, salt plains, and the thorn bush-bordered kraals, or paddocks, that cover even the most remote portions of Botswana. Straight lines and intersecting right angles mark the cattle fences, the system of fence "highways" that divide almost ever ...

... We have 630 km to drive and here, you never know how long it will take. The road LOOKS OK. We are heading for Maun, in the centre of Botswana. We cannot go straight: that road is only accessible for 4X4. We have to do a big detour triangle. Elephants are ...

... shine to chairs flying over the terrace and pouring; pouring! We have to go inside.
At 19h, we go for diner: I take a typical Botswana dish: oxtail. It is yummie but very fat.
Will we have a rim tomorrow? With no spare tire: we are prisoners! ...

Check out of our Sedia and check into Maun Lodge. On our way to the new lodge, we drop buy at AVIS. No tire, or what do you think? I get upset with this chick. 'like I told him, yesterday, ...' (where I come from, one does not refer to people as him or ...

... he knew a good place and after letting off several of his other riders, we were delivered to this beautiful hotel in Botswana.
Explaining our situation to the manager, we were promptly set up with rooms and the staff reopened their kitchen to prepare ...

We arrive at the Audi camp, only 5 minutes late. The drive to the Okavango Delta is supposed to take 1,5 hours. But that is OK, I'll sleep in my air-conditioned van. Dr T points an open primitive vehicle out at the camp: he must be kidding! He is not. We ...

... flooded channels and accessible only by air. Getting there involved a flight from Windhoek to Johannesburg, another flight from Joberg to Maun, Botswana, and then a 6-seater - Safari Air - 20 minute flight to the camp Once again, the service here ...